Loose-leaf binder.



H. B. BRISTOL.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION mso Nov. l. 191e.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lil A l H. B. BRISTOL.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I. I9I6.

IQ@ mem-,ed Jan. 15, 1918.

l 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H| B. BRISTOL.

. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l. 1916.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 www@ dem VW ,8de .d l /CE HAROLD B. BRISTOL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 115,v 11913.

Application led November 1, 1916. Serial No. 128,924.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD B. BRISTOL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at only a portion of the frame being shown;

St. Louis, `State of Missouri, have invented certain new and luseful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in loose-leaf binders; and it consists in the novel features of construction more' fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

The present invention is primarily directed to improvements in binders for sheet music, although obviously the same is applicable to the binding in book form of loose sheets generally. The object sought is to construct a binder which will entail a minimum consumption of time in binding a given sheet or in removing a sheet from the binder; one which will accommodate a maximum number of sheets without destroying the freedom of the turning of the sheets or affecting the desired disposition of the sheets for purposes of reading the matter printed thereon; one containing a minimum number of parts 'considering the superior character of the binder; one whose component parts are easily constructed and readily assembled or taken apart; one which is light, durable, and not clumsy to handle or operate; and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan of the binder when assembled, one of the covers being vpartly broken away to expose a portion of a sheet of music; Fig. 2 is a back view thereof; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is an inside plan of the-binder with one of the covers swung open, parts being broken away; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectionthrough the back of the book formed by the assembling of the covers, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;4 Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 showing the covers in closed position; Fig. 7 is an enlarged inner face view of one of the sections of the frame to which the covers of the binder are hinged, and by which the leaf-securing posts are carried.

Fig. S is ay longitudinal section on a central plane through the hinge-frame taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a plan of the removable take-up member or follower; Fig. 10 is an end view thereof; Fig. 11 is a side view of the follower; Fig. 12 is a plan of a portion of the hinge-strip or leaf carrier to which the leaf is pasted, one ofthe layers or plies of the strip being broken away; Fig. 13 is a cross-section of the strip on the line 13 13 of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a plan of the slide by which the leafanchoring posts are secured to, the longitudinal strips of the frame to which the covers are hinged; Fig. 15 is a side View thereof; Fig. 16 is an elevation of one size of leaf-anchoring post; Fig. 17 is an end view thereof; and Fig. 18 is an elevation of a larger size of post. ,Y

Referring to the drawings, C, C, represent suitable covers or lids of cardboard or other suitable material with an inside finish or layer of paper a mounted on a sheet of cloth a, and an outside layer or sheet of leather or equivalent pliable material o, the sheets a and o being extended beyond the edge of the cover to form a hinge b therefor as shown in Fig. 5.' The free edge of said extension b is folded over the lip 1 bent from the leg 2 of the longitudinal rigid metal strip 3 which forms the inner layer of one of the sections of the frame to which the leaves are anchored. The marginal fold o thus formed on the hinge o is clenched between the lip l and leg 2 whereby the cover or lid is securely fastened to the strip 3 (Fig. 5). Inasmuch as both sides of the binder are alike, a description of one cover and its associated parts will be sufiicient for our purpose, and reference numerals applied to parts on one side will be used to designate corresponding parts on the opposite side.

Mounted on the strip 3 is a second or outer strip 4 having marginal or side inwardly foldable portions d bent parallel to the plane of the outer face of the strip thereby ing grooves or ways 'w for suitable slides said slides terminating in outwardly turned lips or finger-holds 7L, 71 by which the slides may be manipulated. The slides are limited in their longitudinal movement by the lips or burs 6 punched from the outer strip 4 and bent at substantially right angles thereto (Fig. 8) the lips beingspaced suciently apart to permit the slide to perform its necessary function to be hereinafter fully or slots s in the strip. These slots are vavailed of for thel accommodation of the clenching lips 7 punched from the inner strip 3, said lips being passed through the slots s and bent over against the strip 4. The two strips are thus firmly united to one another, the whole forming a rigid Composite strip or longitudinal member for the support of the cover or lid C. The punching of the lips 7 from the strip or plate 3 necessarily leaves slots s opposite the slots s in the strip 4. The slide 5 is provided at one end with a large. substantially circular opening O communicating with an elongated outwardly tapering slot O the faces t of the tapering sides being beveled for a purpose presently to appear.

The longitudinal rigid members or composite strips formed by the strips 3, 4, united in the manner above described serve not` onl as the means for supporting the covers C, 'ut as elements of a frame to which the leaves of the binder are anchored, the devices to which the leaves (or rather the leafcarriers) are directly attached being fastened to andbetween said longitudinal members by the locking slides 5, there being as many pairs of slides as there are leaf anchoring devices. These devices are in the form of posts 8 which are preferably cylindrical as shown. The posts terminate in reduced portions 8 which are provided with annular grooves fm. thereby leaving the reduced necks n as shown to best advantage in Fig. 7. The members composed of the strips 3, 4, are provided with openings for receiving the terminals 8 of the posts, the portion of the terminal 8 between the groove fm, and the body of the post being a shade less than the thickness of the strips or plates 3, 4, thereby bringing the grooves contiguous to the outer' face of the strip 4, that is to say, in position to permit the slide 5 to rest against said face. The openings in the strips 3, 4, are only sufficient to allow for the insertion of the reduced terminals 8 of the posts, so that when the terminals are fully inserted, the strips bear against the offsets or shoulders formed between the terminals 8 and the peripheries of the posts, the posts being thus shouldered to the strips as fully shown in Fig. 8. The opening O in the slide 5'is of larger diameter 4than the diameter of the post terminal 8', so that when the slide is moved to bring the said opening opposite the said terminal, the post may be withdrawn from the strips 3, 4, thereby permitting a disassembling of the parts. By moving the slide in the opposite direction, the converging sides of the elongated opening or slot O are brought into the groove m, .1nd by the time the slide is shoved the full distance in said direction, the rounded base and sides of the slot hug the neck n between the side walls of the groove, thereby locking the post to the composite strip or member formed of the strips 3, 4, as shown in'Figs. 7 and 8. The slop-A ing faces t of the sldes of the slot O facilitate the-movement of said sides into and out of the groove m.

The composite rigid longitudinal members formed by the assembling of the strips 3, 4, together with the posts 8 connecting the same constitute a frame 'in which the said longitudinal members serve as the means for the directsupport of the covers or lids C, C, and the posts -8 as the means for the anchoring of the leaves. This frame is readily disassembled or taken apart by the simple movement of the slides 5 to positions where the openings O come oppothe binder. By making the posts detachable from both of the longitudinal members of the frame, diferentlengths of posts may 'be utilized. Thus in Fig. 16 is shown 01ul arises to insert a fresh leaf or leaves L into length of post, and in Fig. 18 a post of greater length, the size of post used depending on the number of leaves to be bound bctween the covers ofthe binder. As well understood by those'skilled in the art, the leaves L are not .as a rule secured directly to the posts 8, it being the practice to equip the posts with a series of leaf-carriers or hingestrips to which the leaves are pasted as oc casions arise to bind fresh leaves between the covers. The leaf-carrier is in the form of a strip 9 of cloth or other suitable material to one side of one of the faces of which is cemented or glued a paper strip 1 0 having a detachable section 10 which prevents successive strips 9 adhering to one another, said section being severable along .a series of perforations e, the strip 9 being provided adjacent its free ledge on the/side facing the section 10 with a layer of gum or adhesive 1' to which a leaf L is pasted after the' section 10 of the paper strip has vbeen torn ofi. To properly position the' leaf L over the layer of gum 1" a line is marked' on the strip 9, these lines insuring a uniformity int-he mounting of the several leaves to be bound. To prevent the strip 10l from aceidentally adhering to the layer of gum y' on the strip 9 before aA leaf is attached thereto. the inner face of the section 10 is coated with paraiin or some equivalent non-adherable material. `This leaves the section 10 always free from the strip 9, the said section being torn off when occasion requires a slide mounted on the second strip and operating between the burs punched from the .second strip, the composite strip thus formed being provided with openings for the reception of suitable posts engaged by said slide.

4. In a loose-leaf binder an elongated strip having a leg on one side bent at an angle thereto, said leg being provided with a lip bent against the leg, and a lid provided with a flexible hinge-strip having its edge folded to enter between the leg and lip aforesaid, the lip being clenched against the strip to securely fasten the same to the leg.

5. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of elongated outer strips, a pair of 'corresponding inner strips provided with inwardly bent side portions or legs, covers hinged to said bent portions, spacing devices separating the inner strips, and means on the outer strips for locking they spacing devices to the several strips.

6. In combination' with an elongated member, a slide mounted thereon and provided with a slot elongated lengthwise with the member and having its sides approaching one another, said sides being beveled o r wedge-shaped, a, post inserted through the longitudinal member and passed loosely through the slot of the slide, said post having a terminal provided with an annular groove traversed by the sides of the slot, the portion of the slide beyond and adjacent to the narrow terminal of the slot operating to Wedge between the outer side wall of the groove and the adjacent face of the longitudinal member when the slide is moved to one of its extreme positions, thereby locking the post to the longitudinal member.'

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HAROLD B. BRISTOL.

Witnesses EMIL STAREK, ELSE M. SVIEGEL'. 

